Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

What does US economic policy look like at the intersection of Trump's legislative agenda, his tax policy and the budget put forward by congressional Republicans? On Today's Show: Jacob Bogage, Congressional economics correspondent at The Washington Post, and Joseph Rosenberg, senior fellow at the Urban Institute / Tax Policy Center, offer their policy analysis of the current US government.

We're starting a new monthly series in which New Jersey's new junior Senator. On Today's Show: U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D NJ), talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey, including the Trump administrations cuts to key services, and other national issues important to his constituents.

U.S. Justice Department attorneys and Mayor Eric Adams appeared before federal Judge Dale Ho, asking that the five federal corruption and bribery charges against Adams should be dropped. On Today's Show: Elie Mystal, justice correspondent and columnist for The Nation and host of their legal podcast, "Contempt of Court," author of Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution (The New Press, 2023), and the forthcoming Bad Law: 10 Popular Laws That Are Ruining America (The New Press, 2025), offers his analysis on the rule of law and accountability with regard to Mayor Adams, President Trump and Elon Musk.

European leaders have called an emergency meeting after President Donald Trump suggested Ukraine is to blame for Russia’s invasion of it. On Today's Show: Richard Stengel, former Under Secretary of State during the Obama administration, political analyst at MSNBC and author of Information Wars: How We Lost the Battle Against Disinformation (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2019), breaks down the latest as Trump seemingly pivots away from European allies and towards President Vladimir Putin's Russia.

On today's show: Robert P. Jones, president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and the author of The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy: And the Path to a Shared American Future (Simon & Schuster, 2023); Ryan Burge, associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, research director for Faith Counts, and the author of The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They Are Going (Fortress Press, 2021); and Konstantin Toropin, Military.com's Pentagon correspondent, discuss the overlap and contradictions in the Trump administration's policies toward identity and religious affiliation.

In Munich last week, Vice President JD Vance asked leaders not to shun the far right. On today's show: Fred Kaplan, Slate's War Stories columnist and the author of many nonfiction books and his latest, a novel, A Capital Calamity (Miniver Press, 2024), offers analysis of the Trump administration's European tour.

With the word 'unprecedented' often used to describe President Trump's approach to executive power, we look at his first few actions in historical context. On Today's Show: On Presidents Day, as our centennial series continues, Douglas Brinkley, professor of history at Rice University, a CNN Presidential Historian, and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, talks about the history of U.S. presidents and their exercise of executive power and how President Trump's actions compare.

What has been the impact of Trump's DOJ dropping the charges against NYC Mayor Adams? On Today's Show: Dan Goldman, US representative (D, NY-10), formerly lead counsel for the impeachment investigation of Pres. Trump in 2019 and former assistant US attorney, responds to President Trump's executive orders, the latest developments in Eric Adams' cases, and the removal of references to Trans people at the Stonewall National Monument.

With Trump's White House taking certain steps that have raised some constitutional concerns, we asked a constitutional scholar to explain the law. On Today's Show: Kate Shaw, professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, co-host of the Supreme Court podcast Strict Scrutiny, and a contributing opinion writer with the New York Times, talks about the constitutional issues at stake with some of the actions taken by the White House.

President Trump has been clear he'd like to dismantle the Education Department. On Today's Show: Dana Goldstein, education reporter at The New York Times and the author of The Teacher Wars: A History of America's Most Embattled Profession (Anchor, 2015), reports on how Elon Musk and DOGE have started to do that, and how their plans will affect schools and education, and how Trump's pick for Education Secretary, Linda McMahon, fits in with the White House's agenda

As part of his aggressive posture on trade policy, President Trump has announced a new 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports. On Today's Show: Monica Gorman, managing director at Crowell Global Advisors who served as special assistant to the president for manufacturing & industrial policy under former President Joe Biden, talks about the White House's broader trade policy.

President Trump begins the fourth week of his second term today. On Today's Show: Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of several books, including The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters (Simon & Schuster, 2024), talks about the latest national political news, including the status of import tariffs and the trade war, the apparent work-stoppage at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the photo of Elon Musk sitting behind the Resolute Desk.

Only a few weeks into President Trump's second term, and there are already legal fights gearing up over several of his new policies. On Today's Show: Stephen Vladeck, professor of federal courts at Georgetown University Law Center, talks about some of the legal challenges to early actions by the Trump administration.

Federal agencies like the CDC, NIH and the FDA had to remove and alter some data from their websites to comply with executive orders issued by President Trump. On Today's Show: Katelyn Jetelina, founder and author of the newsletter "Your Local Epidemiologist," explains why data is "gold," and how these changes may affect our health.

Reporting suggests that Elon Musk has continued to try to reshape several federal government institutions to fit his and President Trump's agenda. On Today's Show: Andrew Prokop, senior politics correspondent at Vox, talks about the "vast powers" that President Trump has given to Elon Musk, what he's doing with them and what's underpinning the effort overhaul of the federal bureaucracy.

Democrats are pondering how to posture themselves against President Trump's agenda and the GOP-controlled Congress. On Today's Show: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D NY-8th, Brooklyn) explains what he is calling for Democrats to do in response to President Trump's moves on federal funding, tariffs and more.

Much of the recent news cycle has centered on the Trump administration's efforts to offer a buyout to federal workers in exchange for their resignations. On Today's Show: Francesca Chambers, White House Correspondent for USA Today, talks about the news from Washington as the second Trump administration begins its third week.

On today's show: U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D NJ) talks about the Trump cabinet nominees, including his questioning of RFK, Jr. on Thursday, plus his other work in Washington and New Jersey.

The White House budget office ordered a pause on federal loans and grants, only to issue a reversal days later. On Today's Show: Kate Shaw, professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, co-host of the Supreme Court podcast Strict Scrutiny and a contributing opinion writer with The New York Times, offers legal analysis of the move — and the Trump administration's attempts to expand executive power in general.

With Trump's pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services, RFK Jr. appearing for his confirmation hearing today, we present special coverage of the proceedings. On Today's Show: Daniel Griffin, MD, PhD, chief of infectious disease for Island Infectious Diseases (the largest physician-owned Infectious Disease Specialist Group on Long Island), an infectious disease specialist and clinical instructor of medicine at Columbia University and president of Parasites Without Borders and co-host of the podcast "This Week in Virology", offers his commentary and analysis.